The entrance of the Crawlspace Gallery hides a very interesting world below (Ben Heathcote, CMRU.ca)
To many, art galleries are often seen as homes for snobbery; rooms filled with uptight critics, painstakingly over-analyzing minute details of bananas taped to walls or debating the implications of Piss Christ (a personal favourite). But while art is typically associated with such drabness, the hardworking people of Crawlspace are dedicated to bringing a whole new vibe to galleries.
A bit about Crawlspace Gallery
Crawlspace is an art gallery and art collective, burrowed in the basement of Calgary’s “oldest and boldest neighbourhood”: Inglewood. It’s there that a group of AUArts graduates decided to set up a space for young, upcoming artists to share their works without the harshness of a traditional gallery. “Our demographic is a lot younger . . . not as stuffy and professional as a lot of galleries that I go to,” said Crawlspace’s director, May Jones, “it’s a lot more like a chill hangout sort of thing.”
(Art pictured courtesy of Frankie Elouise’s show, My Hair is Getting Longer)
It’s not just a gallery, but a community too
Art may be the gallery’s primary showings, but that’s not their only objective. Crawlspace’s main goal is to create a tightknit community for young emerging artists; a place to feel at home. “I think being an artist is a very solitary job . . . it’s such a rare opportunity to have it be very social and communal,” May added. While most of Crawlspace’s staff came from the same post-secondary cohort, any new blood has been quickly assimilated thanks to their welcoming atmosphere.
It’s the perfect time to check it out!
Without the haughtiness of most galleries, Crawlspace makes it easy to just drop by on a free afternoon. The gallery is open to the public every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening. With a new show each month, it’s always a good time to take in the awe-inspiring works of Calgary’s next generation of artists. You can find more information about their showings on their website.
Personal reflection
The creation of this project has really steered my career aspirations down a completely different path than I had first imagined. Previously, I had thought to pursue work in the entertainment field, but after the creation of this advertisement, I feel much more inspired to pursue work in the field of digital marketing. Having the opportunity to create a work that can really benefit a small, upcoming group’s image and branding is incredibly engaging and satisfying work. My two contacts at the Crawlspace Gallery, May and Nicole, were incredibly helpful in the video’s creation, providing valuable critical feedback throughout the entire production process. I truly loved working with the folks at Crawlspace Gallery, especially as they are starting to take steps in expanding their influence across the art sphere. I was fortunately able to finish this video in time for the Crawlspace Gallery’s promotion for recruiting new artists for showings, so it was timed perfectly. Overall, I learned that even in smaller, stiller environments, there’s still action and intrigue to be found and created. All it takes is a little bit more work in the post-production side in order to craft a video that can really pique an audience’s interest.
Comments